TWI681159B - System and method for thermally conditioning a fluid, control system and machine readable medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of and system for heating and/or cooling a fluid within a fluid, the method comprising moving the fluid through a secondary side of a heat exchanger and controlling the temperature of a primary side of the heat exchanger such that the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger is maintained substantially at a determined temperature interval from a reference temperature which is a function of at least one of: a temperature of an inlet to the secondary side and a temperature of an outlet of the secondary side.

Description

System and method for heat regulating fluid, control system and machine readable medium

The invention relates to a fluid heating and/or cooling system and related methods. In particular, but not excluding other circumstances, specific embodiments of the present invention may be related to a system for transferring heat to and/or from water. In particular, but not excluding other specific embodiments, it can be set to heat a water source that will be used later.

It will be more convenient to describe the background technology of specific embodiments with respect to heating and/or cooling of water. It is understandable, however, that the principles outlined will be applicable to liquids other than water.

Many water supply systems are used to maintain the supply of water in storage containers, which are then heated and/or cooled by a heat transfer mechanism. Many prior art systems move water from the storage container to the heat transfer mechanism, and then return the water that has been added or removed with heat back to the storage container.

In the case of a heating system, it is known that a boiler can be used as a heat transfer mechanism, which burns fossil fuels to generate heat for heating water through the boiler. Such a system will generate a large volume of carbon dioxide, and the overall heating fluid (such as water) may not be as efficient as expected in terms of cost and CO ₂ production.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it provides a fluid heating and/or cooling system, which is configured to heat and/or cool a fluid, and includes at least one of the following elements: 1. A heat pump, It includes at least one of a compressor, an evaporator having an evaporation temperature that can evaporate the refrigerant therein, and a condenser having a condensation temperature that can condense the refrigerant therein, and is configured to carry the refrigerant To connect the refrigerant piping system; one of the condenser and the evaporator will act as a heat exchanger between the fluid and the refrigerant; the heat exchanger may have: (i) a primary inlet, It is set to receive the refrigerant when it is in operation; and (ii) a secondary inlet is set to receive the fluid when it is in operation; and (iii) a secondary outlet is set when it is in operation It is configured to output the fluid; 2. A fluid storage container, which is in operation, is configured to allow fluid to pass from the secondary inlet through the heat exchanger and circulate in a heating pipeline working system 3. At least one temperature sensor is usually set to monitor the temperature of the fluid and generate a temperature output value; and 4. A system controller usually set to input the at least one temperature output value and generate a reference temperature therefrom, wherein the reference temperature is at least one of the secondary inlet and the secondary outlet A function of the fluid temperature, and where: (a) when the fluid needs to be heated, the condenser is used as the heat exchanger, and the controller is further configured to control the condensation in response to the reference temperature Temperature, so that the condensing temperature will be substantially maintained within a predetermined temperature interval above the reference temperature; and/or (b) when the fluid needs to be cooled, the evaporator is used as the heat The switch, and the controller is further configured to control the evaporation temperature in response to the reference temperature, so that the evaporation temperature is substantially maintained within a predetermined temperature interval lower than the reference temperature.

In a specific embodiment, it would be advantageous to use a heat pump because it can provide heating and cooling within the system, and it can easily include valves to allow the reversal of the direction of heat conduction. Second, they can use energy input to the system to move thermal energy from the heat source to the radiator, or vice versa, where the transferred energy may be substantially greater than the energy input into the system.

In addition, in specific embodiments, the condensation temperature can be ensured at a specific temperature interval higher than the reference temperature to improve efficiency.

In conventional heating systems, the condensing temperature is set at a level higher than the desired hot water temperature; that is, the temperature to which the fluid in the fluid storage container is to be heated. Typically, the temperature of this hot water will be 60°C. Therefore, the condensation temperature is set to a temperature higher than 70°C, for example. Not all, most of the heating process will therefore be performed using a heating medium (refrigerant) that is higher than the temperature to which the fluid will be heated. In contrast, in at least some embodiments, the temperature of the refrigerant is adjusted to be higher than the temperature of the fluid to be heated under the control of the difference between the condensation temperature and the fluid temperature (that is, the predetermined temperature interval) (That is, the actual temperature of the fluid, not the desired final temperature). Part of the specific embodiment is configured to control the predetermined temperature interval to the smallest predetermined temperature interval that can be achieved. Therefore, typical embodiments are usually set to control the condensing temperature from the minimum value at the beginning of fluid heating to the maximum value at the completion of the fluid heating process when the fluid temperature is the lowest, so the average condensing temperature will be It will be lower than the traditional system. In this specific embodiment, therefore, a target condensation temperature is calculated, which is the reference temperature plus the predetermined temperature interval.

Advantageously, in a specific embodiment where the condensation temperature is controlled at a predetermined temperature interval above the reference temperature, the coefficient of performance (COP) of the system can be improved. The COP value is defined as the available heat output divided by the energy input to the heat pump compressor. For example, in such a heating system, the COP value may be 8.8 when the condensation temperature is 25°C, but only 2.2 when the condensation temperature is about 65°C.

Therefore, the average COP value of the system will become a weighted average within its operating range, and it is generally believed that the average value of a typical specific embodiment will be 5.5. It should be understood that a specific embodiment that operates with this overall COP value will produce a heating fluid and/or use less CO ₂ emissions than the final temperature at which the condensation temperature is maintained above the fluid. The temperature system used to heat fluids (such as water) must be more efficient.

The heat pump is preferably a gas-source heat pump, which can also be a ground-source heat pump, a water-source heat pump, or a heat pump including a plurality of heat pumps optionally having different external heat sources system.

The condenser may include a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the refrigerant in the refrigerant piping operating system. Therefore, when the system is configured to heat the fluid, the condenser may be referred to as a condenser heat exchanger, or a heat exchanger.

In a cooling system, the positions of the condenser and the evaporator will be reversed, and the fluid flowing through the system will be cooled. Those skilled in the art will understand that the refrigerant piping operating system is a mechanism for moving heat in any cooling or heating system. When the system is configured to cool the fluid, the evaporator may include a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the fluid in the refrigerant piping operating system. Therefore, when the system is configured to cool the fluid, the evaporator may be referred to as an evaporator heat exchanger, or a heat exchanger.

In a system that can be switched between a heating and a cooling system, the system may make modifications to the refrigerant piping, typically including valves that can change the direction of flow between the refrigerant piping operating systems. Artists accustomed to this will understand how to do this.

In a cooling system, and in a system that can be switched between a heating and a cooling system, a system that operates with a cooling system, the artist will understand that the evaporation temperature can be controlled to replace condensation temperature.

In a heating system, between the condensation temperature and the temperature within the secondary side of the heat exchanger of the condenser (ie, between the secondary outlet or secondary inlet of the condenser, or between The temperature difference between the fluid temperature at a point between the two is typically minimized, or otherwise reduced, optimized, or improved in efficiency, and the condensation temperature is higher than the secondary outlet The temperature of the fluid. In contrast, in a cooling system, between the evaporation temperature and the temperature within the secondary side of the heat exchanger representing the condenser (that is, between the secondary outlet or secondary inlet of the condenser, or Is the temperature difference between the two fluid temperatures), which is typically minimized, or otherwise reduced, optimized, or improved in efficiency, and the evaporation temperature is lower than the The temperature of the fluid at the secondary outlet. The system is therefore operated in reverse to use Carnot's theorem, which as the artist can understand, is the result of the second law of thermodynamics.

In other parts of the disclosure of this case, the heating system is described based on clarity and conciseness. Artists who are accustomed to this will refer to the above paragraphs to understand the system and method, and how they can be adjusted for cooling.

The at least one temperature sensor may be provided at the secondary inlet to directly measure the temperature of the fluid entering the condenser at the secondary inlet. The temperature sensor can be optional, or an additional position along the From the liquid storage container, or at any location within the liquid storage container adjacent to the pipeline; the heat loss along the pipeline itself can be a function of temperature and can be used to calculate the two The temperature of the secondary inlet.

The sensor may be optionally, or additionally provided at the secondary outlet from the condenser, or along the pipeline leading from the secondary outlet to the fluid storage container. The known temperature difference between the secondary inlet and the secondary outlet of the condenser can be used to calculate the temperature of the secondary inlet as the temperature at the secondary outlet. If the temperature sensor is provided along a line leading from the secondary outlet to the fluid storage container, it can also be calculated using a known heat loss along the line.

Multiple temperature sensors can be set.

The controller may be configured to generate the reference temperature as a function of the at least one secondary inlet temperature and the secondary outlet temperature. In a specific embodiment, the reference temperature may be the average of the secondary inlet and secondary outlet temperatures. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the condensation temperature must be higher than the highest temperature of the fluid in the secondary side of the condenser heat exchanger. The specific embodiment is therefore typically set to maintain the interval large enough to make the target condensation temperature (which is equal to the reference temperature plus the predetermined interval) higher than the two in the condenser heat exchanger The maximum temperature of the fluid in the secondary side.

In some embodiments, the temperature output may be the temperature of the fluid entering the condenser at the secondary inlet. Alternatively, the temperature of the fluid entering the condenser at the secondary inlet can be calculated from the temperature output value by the controller as described above.

The controller may be a digital controller that will calculate the minimum condensation temperature that will conduct the desired heat from the secondary side of the condenser to the fluid at the bottom of the liquid storage vessel. This calculation process can take into account the characteristics of the condenser heat exchanger and allow the condensation temperature to be adjusted to a target condensation temperature that is substantially a temperature interval higher than the reference temperature.

In other words, the system controller is configured to change the condensing temperature at any time in response to the reference temperature. The change at any time may be instantaneous or substantially instantaneous, or it may be periodic. The period between each change may be, for example, substantially any of the following: 1 second, 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 6 seconds, 8 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes; or similar cycles. It is conceivable that the controller can be calculated with a time interval shorter than 1 second, but it is considered to be due to the delay phenomenon (lag) in the control system, meaning that such a short period may not be necessary of. Artists who are accustomed to this will understand that according to the method outlined in this article, the period between changes will be short enough so that the temperature of the fluid will not change significantly during the period and cause the condensation temperature to not Accurate, and the operation of the system is less efficient than expected.

Typically, the system controller is set to maintain the condensing temperature so that the predetermined temperature interval between the target condensing temperature and the reference temperature can be as low as possible in practice. In this case, among other variables, the lowest actual predetermined temperature interval, and therefore the lowest actual condensation temperature, is based on the heat exchanger used and has at least one of the following meanings: i. low enough to ensure that the gas can be completely condensed into a liquid in the condenser; ii. in the secondary side of the condenser heat exchanger, is a predetermined amount higher than the temperature maintained by the heating system, thereby Allow heat exchange losses; and iii. In the secondary side of the condenser heat exchanger, the heating system maintains a sufficient margin above the temperature to ensure that the gas is completely condensed into a liquid, which can be found in the condenser Occurs within.

The predetermined temperature at which the condensing temperature is maintained higher than the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the condenser heat exchanger may be substantially any of the following: 1°C, 2°C, 3°C, 4°C, 5°C, 6°C, and preferably less than 5°C.

The reference temperature is used as a reference for temperature measurement in the secondary side of the condenser heat exchanger, but it may not be directly at the secondary inlet, the secondary outlet, or the heat exchange at the condenser Any one of the temperature of the fluid anywhere in the secondary side of the device. The reference temperature is a known function of the temperature of the heat exchanger; that is, the temperature at the secondary inlet, the secondary outlet, or anywhere within the secondary side of the condenser heat exchanger , Can be calculated using the reference temperature and the known or calculable thermal gain, loss, temperature gradient and difference in the system.

The heating pipeline operating system may include a pump configured to pump fluid around the heating pipeline operating system. The pump may be variable speed, thereby allowing it to control the condensing temperature. Here, it should be understood that the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heat exchanger of the condenser heat exchanger Under thermodynamic equilibrium, changes in parameters that affect either the heat input or output of either the primary or secondary sides will affect the balance. Condensation (or evaporation) temperature, inlet temperature and outlet temperature are therefore related values; they are related to each other. In this way, a specific embodiment of the present invention can be regarded as optimizing the functionality of the heating and/or cooling system to approximately a certain range of equilibrium conditions, which operates the system through the heating and refrigerant piping, and Set the heat capacity of the fluid and refrigerant respectively.

The heating line operation system may include a bypass line configured to allow fluid to bypass the heat exchanger of the heating line operation system. The heating line operation system may further include a valve member configured to control the amount of fluid allowed to flow through the bypass line.

The system controller may be further configured to control the flow rate of the fluid passing through the condenser in the heating pipe operating system with variables other than the temperature output value. For example, these variables may use one or more of the following variables: the thermal characteristics of the fluid to be heated by the heating system; and the temperature characteristics of the heat exchanger connected to the heating pipeline operating system. Based on the energy efficiency (which can be optimized) that can improve the heating and/or cooling of the system, such a specific embodiment would be more advantageous.

In some embodiments, the condenser heat exchanger may be partially or completely located within the fluid storage container.

According to a second aspect of the invention, it provides a control system that is structured to use a heat exchanger to control the heating and/or cooling of a volume of fluid, which includes: At least one input terminal, which is configured to input the output value of the temperature sensor, the temperature sensor is configured to monitor the temperature of the fluid to be heated; and wherein, the controller is set to The input of the at least one temperature input value generates a reference temperature, wherein the reference temperature is a function of the temperature of at least one of the secondary inlet and the outlet, and the controller is further configured to respond to the reference temperature, and The temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger is controlled so that the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger can be substantially maintained within a predetermined temperature interval higher than the reference temperature.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, it provides a method of heating and/or cooling a fluid in a fluid storage container, the method comprising: moving the fluid from the storage container to the secondary side of the heat exchanger, and controlling The temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger, so that the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger can be substantially maintained within a predetermined temperature interval higher than the reference temperature, the reference temperature being at least one of the following The function of: the temperature leading to the inlet of the secondary side, and the temperature of the outlet of the secondary side.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it provides a machine-readable medium containing instructions, which when read by a machine, can make the machine as the first and/or second aspects of the present invention The system executes, or causes the machine to provide the method of the third aspect of the present invention.

The machine-readable medium of any of the above aspects of the present invention may include any of the following: a floppy disk, a CD ROM, a DVD ROM/RAM (including -R/-RW and +R/+ RW), a hard disk, a solid-state memory (including a USB memory key, an SD card, a Memorystick ^TM , a CF card, or similar device), a magnetic tape, any other form of magneto-optical storage, a transmission Signals (including internet downloads, an FTP transmission station, etc.), a line or any other suitable media.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the features discussed with reference to the above aspects of the invention can be applied to other aspects of the invention after making the necessary changes in details.

The pipeline operation system referred to here can also be regarded as referring to a pipeline system.

100‧‧‧Hot water heating system

102‧‧‧Compressor

104‧‧‧Condenser heat exchanger

104a‧‧‧primary side

104b‧‧‧Secondary side

106‧‧‧Evaporator

108‧‧‧ refrigerant pipeline operation system

110‧‧‧Air source heat pump

112‧‧‧Evaporation control valve

114‧‧‧Hot water storage container

116a, 116b‧‧‧ pipeline system

118、120‧‧‧Pump

122‧‧‧ Cold water import

124a‧‧‧One entrance

124b‧‧‧One export

126‧‧‧Hot water use

128a‧‧‧Second entrance

128b‧‧‧Second export

130‧‧‧Temperature sensor

132‧‧‧ outside air

200‧‧‧Control system

202‧‧‧Controller

210b, 210i‧‧‧Wired communication channel

220‧‧‧Compressor motor controller

222‧‧‧Valve

230a, 230b‧‧‧temperature sensor

230c, 230d‧‧‧temperature sensor

232a, 232b ‧‧‧ pressure/temperature sensor

240‧‧‧Evaporator fan motor

Now in the following only by way of illustration, a detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention is provided with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 shows a specific embodiment of a system in which an air-source heat pump is used to heat water Schematic diagram; and Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the controller of the specific embodiment of the present invention in Figure 1.

For clear and clear reasons, it will be more convenient to describe here a specific embodiment of a system configured to heat fluids, especially water. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other specific embodiments, it can also be configured to heat and/or cool other fluids.

The hot water heating system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is based on the use of an air source heat pump (ASHP) 110. The heating system 100 The compressor 102, the condenser heat exchanger 104, and the evaporator 106, each of which is connected through a refrigerant piping operating system 108, is provided to provide a refrigeration cycle. An evaporation control valve 112 is provided in the refrigerant pipeline operating system 108 between the condenser 104 and the evaporator 106. The refrigerant piping operation system 108 is arranged so that a refrigerant passes through the primary side 104a of the condenser heat exchanger 104.

In the refrigerant piping operation system 108, the refrigerant flows from the evaporator 106 to the compressor 102 refrigerant. The gas in this pipeline section is at a lower pressure and temperature; the compressor 102 will increase the temperature and pressure, and the heated and pressurized refrigerant will then flow into the condensation through the primary inlet 124a The primary side 104a of the condenser heat exchanger 104 condenses the fluid in the refrigerant piping system 108 to a high-pressure, moderate-temperature liquid, and then flows out through the primary outlet 124b. The condenser heat exchanger 104 may allow heat to be transferred from the refrigerant to the fluid. The lower temperature refrigerant then passes through the evaporation control valve 112 and returns to the evaporator 106, which in this case draws heat from the heat source of outside air 132. The evaporation control valve 112 (which can be regarded as an expansion control means) will cause the high-pressure liquid to expand into the evaporator 106 and become a low-pressure, cooled gas.

The refrigerant circulating around the refrigerant piping operating system 108 is described in relative terms such as low, medium, and high. Those skilled in the art will understand that these terms are described with reference to other parts of the refrigerant piping operating system 108.

The system 100 includes a hot water storage container 114, a heating piping system 116a, 116b, and at least two pumps 118, 120. The cold water enters the hot water storage container 114 through the cold water inlet 122 located at the bottom area of the container 114. The cold water entering the container 114 here will replace the water leaving the container 114 via the water piping system 116b for use as hot water 126 for washing, showering, bathing, etc.

At the same time, in order to heat the water used for washing, the water pipe system 116a circulates cold water from the bottom area of the tub to the secondary side 104b of the condenser heat exchanger 104. The water flowing into the secondary side 104b is heated by the heat of the primary side 104a of the condenser heat exchanger 104 and is returned to the container 114.

The hot water in the container 114 will be stratified so that the hot water can be stored on the top of the container for use, while the colder water will enter and heat from the lower layer of the container.

The temperature sensor 130 measures the water temperature in the area of the secondary inlet 128a of the condenser heat exchanger 104.

In an alternative embodiment, the temperature sensor 130 is located at another position in the pipeline circulation 116a, or is located in the container 114 close to the position leading to the pipeline circulation 116a. In such a specific embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that typically at a point around the heating pipeline operating system, there will be a known temperature drop and the temperature in the secondary inlet 128a, It can be determined from other points of the heating pipeline operating system.

The temperature sensor 130 may provide a temperature output value.

In optional or additional specific embodiments, the system further includes additional temperature and/or temperature/pressure sensors. Advantageously, the sensors are located at the inlet and/or outlet of the compressor 102 and/or evaporator 106, and at one or more locations within or near the fluid storage container 114.

In addition to the valve member 112, the refrigerant piping operating system also includes another valve member 222, which is configured to control the rate at which the refrigerant can pass.

FIG. 2 shows the control system 200 of the above specific embodiment. Specifically, the controller 202 is provided as follows to accept input values and process these input values to control the system as described in FIG. 1.

Conveniently, the controller 202 includes a processor. The processor may be any suitable processor, such as Intel ^™ i3 ^™ , i5 ^™ , i7 ^™ or similar device; an AMD ^™ Fusion ^™ processor; and Apple ^™ A7 ^™ processor.

The temperature value output from the temperature sensor 130 is used as the input value of the control system controller 202. The controller 202 controls the condensing temperature of the condenser heat exchanger 104 according to the output value of the temperature, so that the condensing temperature is a predetermined temperature interval higher than a reference temperature, which is entered by the secondary inlet Produced by the water temperature in 128a.

In this particular embodiment, the temperature output represents the temperature of the water entering the secondary inlet 128a. In an optional or additional specific embodiment, the temperature sensor 130 is located at or at the secondary outlet 128b Nearby, and the temperature output value represents the water temperature leaving the secondary outlet 128b. The reference temperature is then generated by the controller 202 using the temperature output value.

In additional or optional embodiments, the temperature sensor 130 is not located in the secondary inlet 128a or outlet 128b, but is located elsewhere in the area of the pipeline 116a; entering the secondary inlet 128a or It is the temperature of the fluid leaving the secondary outlet 128b, using temperature output values, and other factors such as the heat loss of the pipeline, the temperature difference between the secondary inlet 128a and the secondary outlet 128b, etc. Calculation. The temperature output value will therefore be a known function of the water temperature entering the secondary inlet 128a, and/or the water temperature leaving the secondary outlet 128b, and so on. Then, the reference temperature is generated from the temperature output value by the controller 202.

A temperature gradient is formed in the secondary side 104b of the entire condenser heat exchanger 104, and the reference temperature is a function based on at least one temperature in the secondary side 104b. In some embodiments, the reference temperature is the average temperature between the secondary inlet 128a and the secondary outlet 128b.

In addition, in this specific embodiment, the predetermined temperature interval is preset by the software provided by the user or the condenser heat exchanger 104. In other specific embodiments, the controller 202 calculates the temperature interval used based on one or more of the following factors: (i) the type of heat exchanger; (ii) the water temperature at the secondary inlet; ( iii) The maximum and minimum condensation temperature of the condenser; (iv) the reference temperature; and (v) the required hot water temperature; that is, the temperature to which the fluid in the fluid storage container is to be heated.

The controller 202 will then enable the compressor 102 and/or the evaporator control valve 112 to regulate the flow rate and/or pressure and temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigerant piping to reduce or increase the temperature in the condenser heat exchanger 104 The condensation temperature is such that the condensation temperature is at or close to the reference temperature plus the predetermined temperature difference.

In the following description, the connection between the controller 202 and the various components is described with a wired connection. These connections can be operated using any suitable protocol, such as RS232; RS485; TCP/IP; USB; Firewire; or similar protocols; or dedicated protocols. However, in other specific embodiments, it may also be the case of using a wireless connection protocol such as Bluetooth; WIFI; or using a dedicated protocol.

In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the controller 202 is electrically connected to the compressor 102 and the temperature sensor 130 via wired communication channels 210b and 210i, respectively. The controller 202 controls the compressor 102 to adjust the compressor 102, thereby allowing adjustment of the condensing temperature.

In some embodiments, the controller 202 is also in communication with one or more valve members 112, 222 on the first and secondary sides of the compressor 102 to regulate the flow rate through the compressor 102, thereby Adjust the condensation temperature.

In an optional or additional specific embodiment, the controller 202 is, for example, generally described below, and communicates with another temperature sensor to provide additional data/feedback information. Therefore, each of the following temperature sensors is set to generate a temperature output value, which will be input to the controller 202: 230a is located in the area of the secondary outlet 128b of the heat pump condenser 104; 230b is located in the area below the fluid storage container 114; 230c is located in the area above the liquid storage container 114; and 230d is located in the outlet area of the evaporator 106.

In an alternative or additional embodiment, the controller 202 is in communication with pressure/temperature sensors 232a, 232b in the area of the primary condenser inlet 124a, and/or in the area of the evaporator 106 inlet.

Advantageously, in a specific embodiment using a temperature sensor other than the temperature sensor 103, the reference temperature and/or the accuracy of calculating the temperature interval may be increased, and/or the heating system may be further optimized.

The controller 202 will also communicate with some or all of the output value control mechanisms 220, 112 and 222. The controller 202 can adjust the output value of the compressor 102 by means of the compressor motor controller 220. The controller 202 can additionally or optionally cause the evaporator expansion valve 112 and the condenser control valve 222 to open or close, or adjust between two extreme positions. Alternatively or optionally, the control The controller 102 can adjust the evaporator fan motor 240 and the condenser secondary pump 118.

100‧‧‧Hot water heating system

102‧‧‧Compressor

104‧‧‧Condenser heat exchanger

104a‧‧‧primary side

104b‧‧‧Secondary side

106‧‧‧Evaporator

108‧‧‧ refrigerant pipeline operation system

110‧‧‧Air source heat pump

112‧‧‧Evaporation control valve

114‧‧‧Hot water storage container

116a, 116b‧‧‧ pipeline system

118、120‧‧‧Pump

122‧‧‧ Cold water import

124a‧‧‧One entrance

124b‧‧‧One export

126‧‧‧Hot water use

128a‧‧‧Second entrance

128b‧‧‧Second export

130‧‧‧Temperature sensor

132‧‧‧ outside air

Claims (29)

A system for thermally regulating a fluid, which is configured to heat and/or cool a fluid to a desired temperature, the desired temperature is the temperature to which the fluid is to be heated or cooled in the system, the system includes : A heat pump, which contains a compressor; an evaporator with an evaporation temperature; the refrigerant therein will evaporate at the evaporation temperature; and a condenser with a condensation temperature, the refrigerant in the condenser will condense at the Temperature condensation, the compressor, the evaporator and the condenser are connected by a refrigerant pipeline operating system, the pipeline operating system is configured to transport refrigerant; wherein one of the condenser and the evaporator is A heat exchanger is provided between the fluid and the refrigerant; the heat exchanger has: (i) a primary inlet, which is arranged to receive the refrigerant when in operation; and (ii) a secondary inlet, which is in operation Is set to receive the fluid; and (iii) the secondary outlet, which is set to output the fluid when in operation; a fluid storage container, set to allow a heating during operation In the pipeline working system, fluid is circulated through the heat exchanger from the fluid storage container through the secondary inlet, and receives fluid returned from the secondary outlet; at least one temperature sensor, which is provided to monitor the fluid Temperature and produce a temperature output value; and A system controller configured to input at least one temperature output value to the system controller and generate a reference temperature from the at least one temperature input to the system controller, wherein the reference temperature is the heat A function of the temperature of at least one of the secondary inlet and the outlet of the exchanger, and the controller is further configured to control the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger in response to the reference temperature so that the heat exchanger The temperature of the primary side of is repeatedly adjusted so as to maintain substantially a predetermined temperature interval relative to the reference temperature when the fluid approaches the desired temperature. The system of claim 1, wherein: (a) when the fluid is to be heated, the condenser provides the heat exchanger, and the temperature of the primary side is the condensing temperature, and the controller is further set to Control the condensing temperature according to the reference temperature so that the condensing temperature will be substantially maintained within a predetermined temperature interval higher than the reference temperature; and/or (b) when the fluid needs to be cooled, the The evaporator provides the heat exchanger, and the temperature on the primary side is the evaporation temperature, and the controller is further configured to control the evaporation temperature in response to the reference temperature, so that the evaporation temperature will be substantially maintained Within a predetermined temperature interval below the reference temperature. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature sensor is located in the area of the secondary inlet of the heat exchanger so that it can measure the temperature of the secondary inlet. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature sensor is not located at the secondary inlet, and wherein the controller is configured to use the temperature output value to calculate the temperature of the fluid entering the secondary inlet. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein there is a known temperature gradient between the primary side of the heat exchanger through which the refrigerant flows and the secondary side of the heat exchanger through which the fluid flows , And the predetermined temperature interval substantially corresponds to the temperature gradient. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is configured to maintain at least one of the following conditions: (i) the condensation temperature is at a minimum, while still ensuring that it occurs between the refrigerant and the fluid Heat conduction; and/or (ii) the evaporation temperature is at a maximum while still ensuring heat conduction between the refrigerant and the fluid. The system of claim 6, wherein the minimum value refers to the temperature difference between the condensation temperature and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being between 1 and 6 degrees Celsius . The system of claim 6, wherein the maximum value refers to a temperature difference between the evaporation temperature and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being between 1 and 6 degrees Celsius . The system of claim 6, wherein the minimum value refers to the temperature difference between the condensation temperature and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius . The system of claim 9, wherein the minimum value refers to a temperature difference between the condensation temperature and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being approximately 2 degrees Celsius. The system of claim 8, wherein the maximum value refers to a temperature difference between the evaporation temperature and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius . The system of claim 11, wherein the maximum value refers to a temperature difference between the evaporation temperature and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being approximately 2 degrees Celsius. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat pump is at least one of: (i) an air-source heat pump; (ii) a ground-source heat pump; and (iii) a water-source heat pump. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the system controller is further configured to control the flow rate of the fluid passing through the heat exchanger in the heating pipeline operating system with variables other than the temperature output value . The system of claim 14, wherein the variable other than the temperature output value includes at least one of the following variables: (i) the thermal characteristics of the fluid; and (ii) the temperature characteristics of the heat exchanger. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the target condensing temperature and/or evaporating temperature is calculated by the controller, wherein the calculation operation uses one or more of the following factors: (i) the heat exchanger Type; (ii) the temperature of the fluid at the secondary inlet; (iii) the maximum and/or minimum condensation temperature of the condenser; (iv) the maximum and/or minimum evaporation temperature of the evaporator; (v) Losses in the fluid heating system; and (vi) The target fluid temperature of the fluid in the fluid storage container. A control system configured to control the heating and/or cooling of a volume of fluid contained in a fluid storage container to a desired temperature using a heat exchanger to heat or cool the volume of fluid The temperature reaches, the control system includes: at least one input terminal, which is configured to input the output value of the temperature sensor to the input terminal, the temperature sensor is configured to monitor the fluid to be heated or cooled Temperature; and wherein, the controller is configured to generate a reference temperature from the at least one temperature input value input to the controller, wherein the reference temperature is the second of the heat exchanger through which the fluid flows A function of the temperature of at least one of the secondary inlet and the outlet, and the controller is further configured to control the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger through which the fluid flows in response to the reference temperature, so that the heat The temperature of the primary side of the exchanger is adjusted repeatedly so as to maintain a predetermined temperature interval substantially with respect to the reference temperature when the fluid approaches the desired temperature. The system of claim 17, wherein in the heat exchanger, the control system is arranged for control, and there is a known temperature between the primary side of the heat exchanger and the secondary side of the heat exchanger Gradient, and the predetermined temperature interval substantially corresponds to the temperature gradient. The system of claim 17 or 18, wherein when the system is configured to heat the fluid, the controller is configured to maintain the primary side temperature at a minimum while still ensuring that the refrigerant and the fluid Heat conduction occurs between them. The system of claim 17 or 18, wherein when the system is configured to cool the fluid, the controller is configured to maintain the primary temperature at a maximum value while still ensuring that the refrigerant and the refrigerant Heat conduction occurs between fluids. The system of claim 19, wherein the minimum value and/or the maximum value refer to the temperature difference between the temperature on the primary side and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the The temperature difference is between 1 and 7 degrees Celsius. The system of claim 19, wherein the minimum value and/or the maximum value refer to the temperature difference between the temperature on the primary side and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the The temperature difference is between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius. The system of claim 22, wherein the minimum and/or maximum values refer to the temperature difference between the temperature of the primary side and the temperature of the fluid from the outlet of the secondary side of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference being It's about 2 degrees Celsius. A method for thermally regulating a fluid stored in a fluid storage container to a desired temperature, the desired temperature is a temperature to which the fluid is to be heated or cooled in the fluid storage container, the method includes: The fluid moves from the storage container, returns to the fluid storage container through the secondary side of a heat exchanger, and controls the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger, so that the temperature of the primary side of the heat exchanger is adjusted repeatedly , So as to maintain a predetermined temperature interval substantially relative to a reference temperature when the fluid approaches the desired temperature, the reference temperature is a function of at least one of the following: the temperature of the inlet to the secondary side , And the outlet temperature of the secondary side. The method of claim 24, wherein the primary side of the heat exchanger includes a portion of the condenser within the refrigeration cycle. The method of claim 24, wherein the primary side of the heat exchanger includes a portion of the evaporator within the refrigeration cycle. The method of claim 25 or 26, wherein the refrigeration cycle is provided by a heat pump. A machine-readable medium containing instructions that when read by a machine, causes the machine to operate as a system such as items 1 to 23. A machine-readable medium that contains instructions for a machine to provide methods such as items 24 to 27 when read by a machine.

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